The Chief of Police and any member of the Police Department shall have all of the powers, authority, rights and privileges within the City with regard to the arrest of persons, the collection of claims, and the execution and return of any search warrant, warrant of arrest or other process, which can legally be exercised or discharged by a deputy sheriff of a county. In order to arrest for the violation of City ordinances and as to all matters arising within the City limits and coming within the scope of his official duties, the powers of the Chief of Police and any policeman shall extend anywhere within the County, and the Chief of Police and any policeman shall have the same authority of pursuit and arrest beyond his normal jurisdiction as has a sheriff. For an offense committed in his presence, any such officer may arrest the offender without a warrant and take him before the Municipal Court or other officer or court having jurisdiction to be dealt with according to law. He and his sureties shall be liable to all the fines, penalties and forfeitures which a deputy sheriff of a county is liable to, for any failure or dereliction in such office, to be recovered in the same manner and in the same courts in which such fines, penalties and forfeitures are recovered against a deputy sheriff. The Chief of Police and in the absence from the Police Headquarters of the Chief of Police, the Captains of Police and Lieutenants of Police shall each have authority to administer oaths to complainants and to issue arrest warrants thereon for all violations of the ordinances of the City. This section is subject to the provisions of Article 189
, pertaining to the Municipal Judge.
It shall be the duty of all police officers to aid in the enforcement of the criminal laws of the State within the City, and to cause the arrest of, or arrest, any offender and take him before a magistrate to be dealt with according to the law. Failure on the part of any such official or officer to discharge any duty imposed by the provisions of this section shall be deemed official misconduct for which he may be removed from office. Any such official or officer shall have the same authority to execute a warrant issued by a magistrate and the same authority to arrest without a warrant for offenses committed in his presence, as a deputy sheriff.
(1968 Code §18A-3)
(1968 Code §18A-3)